The father who shopped son to police after he ran up a ?3,700 bill playing games on h

[super jumbe]

Charges: Mr Crossan claims his son was unaware he was being charged for the in-game purchases and wants Apple to scrap the charge


When he discovered he had run up a ?3,700 bill on his father?s credit card playing games on his iPad, Cameron Crossan expected a very stern telling off at least.

The 13-year-old was mortified by what he had done ? but worse was to come. For instead of punishing him, his father filed an official police complaint effectively accusing him of fraud.

Doug Crossan, 48, said he was horrified when his credit card company informed him of the amount his son had spent on the games in Apple?s online App Store.

Cameron could now face arrest and questioning by detectives.

But that is not the reason the teenager was shopped. If Mr Crossan had wanted him to feel the force of the law he could have done it himself ? he is a PC with Avon and Somerset Police. He contacted the national Action Fraud helpline in the hope of getting his money back from Apple.

He says Cameron was unaware he was being charged for the purchases and wants Apple to refund the cash. But the technology giant has so far refused, so Mr Crossan believes that by reporting the purchases as fraudulent his credit card company will have to foot the bill.

Mr Crossan, of Clevedon, Somerset, said yesterday: ?I am sure Cameron had no intention to do it, but I had to have a crime reference number if there was any chance of getting any credit card payments refunded.

?In theory the local police station would contact me and ask for Cameron to come in to be interviewed. I could make it difficult, of course, and refuse to bring him in, and they would have to come and arrest him.?

Mr Crossan logged the details of his MBNA Virgin credit card with Apple when he used his son?s device to download music.

Cameron then racked up more than 300 purchases on games such as Plants vs Zombies, Hungry Shark, Gun Builder and N.O.V.A. 3. Many of them are free to download but users can buy in-game extras. In one game Cameron had purchased a virtual chest of gold coins costing ?77.98.

He would have had to key in a password before each of the purchases was processed.
When his father confronted him, Cameron quickly confessed but said he did not know it was costinPlants vs Zombies: One of the games Cameron purchased on the iPadg money as the games were initially free.


Plants vs Zombies: One of the games Cameron purchased on the iPad

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298771/Policeman-Doug-Crossan-reports-13-year-old-son-Cameron-FRAUD-running-3-700-iPad.html

[nara]

The Apple Store always makes it perfectly plain what you're paying for something. He would also have to enter a password after agreeing to the charge.

I can understand a very young kid doing this, but for a 13 year old, it's either terminal stupidity, or he didn't give a sh*t.

[GastonJ]

His father probably saved the password, which on a mobile device is even more stupid. If he did it's the fathers fault at the end of the day, would you give your 13 year old kid access to your credit card and pin?